Air Conditioners remove unwanted heat and are rated differently than furnaces. Residential air conditioners are rated by their “Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio”, commonly called SEER. SEER is actually a ratio of the BTUs of heat removed divided by the watts of electricity consumed by the air conditioner to do its cooling work. The higher the SEER, the more efficient the air conditioner. Back in the old days when energy efficiency was not so important, a SEER of 6 or 8 was fairly common. In today’s energy-conscious market, the minimum SEER air conditioner you can buy is 13, and you can find some units rated at 20 SEER and above. As you might imagine, the higher SEER units cost more money. If you live in a hot climate like the South, which has up to 6000 cooling hours per year, you will want to buy the most efficient air conditioner your budget can afford. If you live in a cooler climate like Eastern Washington, which typically has around 1500 cooling hours per year, it makes sense to buy a 13 or 14SEER air conditioner. Another consideration is that many people choose to buy a higher-SEER unit to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment.

If you are in the market to replace your old air conditioner, call our office for a comparative cost of operation of different SEER units. Our number is (509) 924-0018, and we are happy to provide this information to our customers and potential customers.